A car sits in dried and cracked earth of what was the bottom of the Almaden Reservoir on Jan. 28, 2014 in San Jose, Calif.

It’s no accident. In recent decades, thanks largely to rebate programs, the residents and businesses of Southern California have made enormous strides in reducing their water consumption to levels unmatched in other parts of the state. The efforts—along with increased reservoir storage capacity in the region—have been so successful that this year, while California is in the midst of a severe drought, there are no plans to ration water in arid Southern California.